Amazon boss Jeff Bezos wants to be young forever

Jeff Bezos has joined a venture called Altos Labs in the quest to achieve eternal life by developing a process called "cellular programming" - a scientific technique which is already being used to rejuvenate individual cells.

The biotech start-up company has already accumulated $3 billion in funding and has recruited one of the world’s most respected scientists.

Hal Barron, 59, has joined Altos Labs as chief executive in a move from his prior role as chief scientific officer for GlaxoSmithKline.

The Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who is estimated to be worth $188 billion, joins a growing board of backers for Altos Labs.

Altos will be based on the US West Coast and in Cambridge and has attracted many university professors with “sports-star salaries”.

Altos Labs has also achieved backing from 59-year-old Yuri Milner, a Russian billionaire and friend of celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise and Prince Harry.

Yuri Milner is a co-founder of the biotech company, alongside Dr Rick Klausner, former head of America's National Cancer Institute.

Bezos is also reportedly backing another company, Unity Biotechnology, which is creating 'senolytic drugs' which would eradicate 'senescent cells' from the body.

'Senescent cells' are old cells which do not die but which secrete damaging chemicals and have been linked to arthritis, dementia, osteoporosis and diabetes.

Jeff Bezos joins Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in backing anti-ageing research.